Professor Layton and the Swords of Destiny
by goldenponyboy
Summary: While never expecting adventure and mystery, they usually find the good professor anyway. But can Layton keep up when an old enemy shows his face and a new power is in the mix?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter I: Everything Begins with Hello

**Hello everyone. Today, I'm starting up a new fic. Since I'm not only a half-fan of MLP:FIM, this one is about perhaps my favorite game series: Professor Layton. Oh, and on a completely unrelated note, my secret is that the fourth wall has been breached. PM me and I'll tell you more. Anyway, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I only own my OC(s).**

**Scotland Yard, Monday 7:30 PM.**

"Yes, your Highness, your jewels will be returned," Grosky said over the phone. He, being a member of the famous Scotland Yard, had been recruited in the latest case of the disappearance of the Crown Jewels from their rightful place.

"Oh, thank you, Inspector," the Queen answered. "And be sure to thank the Professor for his assistance."

Grosky's smile faded. "With pleasure." With that, he hung up the phone and began to rub his temples. "Layton..." he said with little pleasure at all.

Professor Hershel Layton. He teaches archeology at Gressenheller University. He is also a tea-loving, puzzle-solving gentleman. He's the one who really solved the latest case, but Grosky had helped... get in the way that is.

"Oh, I'll thank him alright. Next time I see him, I'll..." He didn't get a chance to finish his statement. Something had just banged on the door. "Who can that be?" Slowly, he got up from his desk and walked over to it.

When it was opened, he was met with a surprise. There, in the rain, stood, or rather leaned... a boy. He couldn't have been any older than fourteen. His clothing was nothing more than a pair of ratty old blue jeans and a gray sweatshirt. He wore a pair of glasses and a white and gold lanyard around his neck. When he spoke, Grosky noticed that his accent was American. "Hello..." was all he could get in before he fainted and dropped to the ground.

Grosky didn't know what to do exactly. But he knew who would. Grumbling to himself, he gathered the boy up in his arms and ran as fast as he could towards the University.

**Gressenheller University, Monday, 8:00 PM.**

"And you say he just... fell Inspector?" Layton asked. Grosky had finished quickly telling him what had occurred over at the Yard. The boy lay stretched out on the sofa. Rosa, part of the University's janitorial staff, was tending to a few wounds on him. There was a gaping cut on his left arm and across his chest. On the back of his hand was a scar in the shape of an elongated "A."

"That's right. All he could get out was a 'Hello' before he dropped."

Layton studied the boy's wounds. "It appears that he has been in some kind of fight. These wounds are most common from a sword or an ax. He's lucky to be alive."

"Oh, if only we could get some tea in the dear," Rosa said. "That might wake him up."

Layton sighed. "I suppose it has as good a chance as anything."

Rosa put down he now blood-stained rag and reached for the tea she had brought the Professor earlier. Grosky lifted the boy's head while she tried to pour some tea down his throat. He coughed a bit and woke up slowly. "Ugh... did anyone get the number of that bus that hit me?" He looked around the room. Seeing the others, he attempted to get up. When that didn't work, he said, "Hello. Who are you?"

Layton bent his knees to get at eye level with the boy. "My name is Professor Hershel Layton." he then motioned to the other two in the room. "These are Rosa and Inspector Clamp Grosky."

"A pleasure. My name is John. Johnathan Walker." He looked around the room and saw his coat hanging off the handle of the door. His hand shot to his neck. "Where is it?" he asked frantically.

"Where is what?"

"My pendant! It was hanging off of a white and yellow lanyard!"

Rosa handed him back his coat. Snatching it, he searched all of the pockets. He pulled the said object out and quickly put it around his neck. He kept his hand clamped around something at the end. He signed contently when he had it. "This pendant has been in my family for years. I can never be parted with it."

Layton looked like he was going to ask another question when the door burst open. There stood a certain Luke Triton and Flora Reinhold. Luke had a letter in his hand. "Professor!" he yelled in excitement. "My father sent us a letter. There has been another discovery in Misthallery!"

Layton reached out and took the letter. After looking it over, he turned to the children. "Would you two be so kind as to call up Emmy?"

John slowly got off the couch and moved to where he could see the letter. After a short while of reading, he snatched it and reread one part several times. "It can't be..."

"Is there a problem?"

He looked up. "The Swords of Destiny!"

**Chapter Complete. Here's chapter one of what I hope turns out to be a longer fic. Oh, and if you haven't, check out some of my other fics. Until next time, R&R AND ADIOS!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II: Blood Types and Puzzles

**YELLOW! IMMA HERE WITH YOUR SECOND CHAPTER! Now, I'm still easing this story on its way, so bear with me for a while. Now, I have two stories going on, so I don't know how I'm going to pull this off, but hey, who cares? Oh, and to those two who reviewed, your advice is acknowledged and I will attempt to follow it as well as I can. And now, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I only own my OC(s).**

**Hospital, Monday 9:15 PM.**

After the call had been made, Layton had immediately rushed John to the nearest hospital for some proper medical attention. Rosa could only do so much for him, and what she could do was not much at all. She could only compress the wounds to slow the blood flow.

As he lay in the back of the Laytonmobile, the Professor drove of as fast as a gentleman could in an emergency, which, depending on the fatality of the emergency, can be and was very fast. He was pondering why neither he nor Grosky had taken him there first. There was something about him that must have caught their immediate attention. But what?

As they pulled into the parking lot, Layton looked back at the boy. "Hm..." he sighed. He had solved countless puzzles and cases, but there was just something about John...

But he would have to worry about that later. Layton carefully picked up the boy and carried him into the building. Upon entry, John was taken from Layton and wheeled off into a room where he could be looked at and cared for while a nurse asked Layton a series of questions. These included "When were these wounds discovered?", "Were you present?", "How long has he been unconscious?", and so forth.

After these, he took a seat in the waiting room while they tended to John. There, to his surprise, he met up with an old student of his, Janice Quatlane. She smiled when he noticed her. "Nice to see you again, Professor," she said.

"Janice! What brings you here?"

"I'm just having my annual physical. I had to book it late because I had a performance that practically just ended. What about you? Another case?"

"Perhaps."

"What do you mean?"

While he began to tell her everything he knew as of now, something interesting was happening in the examining room. The doctor and nurses who were taking care of John had given him a dose of antiseptic for the period while they stitched him up. His arm was easily fixed up. However, when they tried sewing up the cut on his chest, it resisted all attempts to fix it.

When they did a check of the amount of blood in his system, they saw it was almost too low for him to survive without any put into him, so they took a blood test to see what type to give him. And, to say the least, the results were... interesting.

**Gressenheller University, Monday, 9:20 PM.**

Emmy arrived five minutes after Layton left with John. When she did, Grosky, Luke, Flora, and Rosa all filled her in on the everything that they had learned. When the tale had reached its end, she sat down on the couch with a sigh of amazement. "Well, it sounds like another case for the famous Professor Layton!"

"Yes, because the rest of us mean absolutely nothing to no one," Grosky muttered to himself.

"Did you say something, Inspector?"

"Nothing."

The letter was written like this:

_Dear Hershel,_

_Strange things have been taking place in Misthallery since your case with the Specter._

_Even I couldn't believe any of this._

_Even now, as it takes place in front of my eyes._

_Preliminarily, we have discovered something else in our caves._

_Legally, it should be in a museum, but I thought you should see them first._

_Even if you do not deem it important, I do._

_Everyone is talking about them._

_Many cannot believe that they actually exist._

_Only a few scholars have begun to piece theories together about the Blades of Destiny._

_Certainly, you can find the actual solution behind them._

_Do not ignore this offer to come back to Misthallery._

_I actually do believe that this is important._

_Escalating in importance, I have a competition for my role as mayor._

_My opponent is none other than Jean Descole!_

_Amazing, I know._

_To think that he believes that he can win an election._

_Enthralling, actually._

_You can not begin to imagine what I am thinking as I write this to you._

_I have no idea what he is thinking._

_Little is known about him, other than he tried to destroy the town._

_My mind is swimming from all of this._

_Likely is the fact that he's up to something._

_Even if he does seem sincere._

_Everyone else does kind of think he could be telling the truth._

_Really, though._

_Someone like Descole appearing at the same time as the Swords of Destiny?_

_Hershel, this sounds right up your ally!_

_Yours truly,_

_Clark Triton_

Yes, I know. It appears that there is more information in this letter than necessary. This is exactly the same thing everyone in the room thought

Luke read and reread his father's letter to himself a few more times. "Wait a minute," he said after about his fifth time. "This part makes no sense."

He took out a pen from his satchel and circled what he was talking about. It was a series of seemingly random words that was made up of the first word of each sentence: SEEPLE EMOC DIEMATEYILM LEERSH

"Wait could that mean?" Grosky asked.

They all pondered a bit before Rosa piped up. "Maybe it's a puzzle."

Luke palmed his forehead. "Of course! I did the same thing when I sent my first letter to the Professor." He looked at the letters again. "But... I actually used real words."

Emmy snatched the letter from Luke and scanned it herself. After a while, she put it down and said, "Anagrams."

"What?" Flora asked with a confused look.

"Anagrams. They're made by taking one word and mixing it up into a different one. It's commonly used in secret codes."

"Ah. Um, can I see that?" When she was handed the paper, she almost immediately discovered the answer. Since she once lived in a town inhabited by mostly robots, her ability to notice things was more acute than others. Even though she didn't recognize the fraud in her town, the intelligence and perception kind of rubbed of on her somehow. "Luke, can I borrow your pen?"

Everyone gathered behind her as she wrote the letters at the bottom of the page. Then, she rearranged them so that they now spelled out the phrase:

PLEASE COME IMMEDIATELY HERSHEL.

**Hospital, Monday 10:59 PM.**

Layton and Janice had discussed things for a while until the doctor came out and asked to speak with the Professor alone. He bade her good-bye and followed him into the room that John was in. He was still asleep from the medicines they gave him.

"What is the problem, Doctor?"

He gave Layton a strange look that told him everything. "To be perfectly honest, we have no clue. Look at this." He showed Layton a blood type chart. "As you can see, these are the eight basic blood types: A+, A-, B+,B-, AB+, AB-, O+, and O-."

"Yes, but what does that have to do with John?" Layton was afraid that he already knew the answer.

The doctor put a sample of John's blood under a microscope. "Have a look."

Layton obliged and took a look. What he saw shocked him, even if he had expected it.

The blood did not match any of the types on the chart.

**Chapter Complete. Hm, that's odd. Eight blood types and it didn't match any of them. Sounds interesting. But hey, keep up the R&R for me. Tell me how the beginning is shaping up.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III: There's Something in the Mist.

**Hello, to the people of my fan fiction kingdom. Okay, not my ****_kingdom_****. But it is my ****_fic_****. Anywho, I'm sure that you're all here for another chapter of this story. Sorry about the delay, I've been held up with stuff. So, without further ado, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I only own my OC(s).**

**Triton Residence, Misthallery, Tuesday 6:00 AM.**

Clark was sitting in his study, looking over the records of the town's continuous reconstruction, when someone knocked on his door. "Come in," he said.

When this was said, his visitor obliged. It was Doland, bringing him some morning tea. "Good morning, sir. I have your tea."

"Yes, thank you, Doland." That said, he took one of the cups from his butler.

"Sir, you have a visitor in the parlor. He asked my to see if you were busy."

Clark rose his head sharply. "This early?"

"I'm afraid so, sir. Shall I show him in?"

Clark sighed, now knowing that today was not going to be as pleasing as he was hoping. "Yes, go ahead, Doland. And... bring some more tea along."

"Yes, sir." Without another word, the butler left the office. After a half an hour, he returned with another tray of tea and the visitor.

It was none other than his electoral opponent, Jean Descole. "Ah, Clark, I'm glad I could catch you." After saying this, he took the tray from Doland and said, "You may go now, my friend. I need to talk to our 'glorious' mayor alone."

Doland bowed his head and exited the office, slowly closing the door as he did so.

After this, Clark went straight into the conversation, ignoring the tea that had been brought in on his request. "What do you want? Another chance to use me so that the vote will swing in your favor? Or do you wish to nearly destroy the town again by ruining my family?" He never forgave him for using him in the whole Specter operation.

"You wound me, Clark." Descole walked around the desk and put a hand on Clark's shoulder. "I've given up my ways of tyranny."

The mayor simply shrugged off his hand and stood up. "That will be the day. And you never answered my question. What do you want?"

Descole smiled behind his mask. "I came only to wish you luck in the election. And to tell you..." He leaned close to his ear. "...You better pick up the campaign." With this, he left, but not before he "accidentally" dropped a Descole campaign poster on Clark's desk.

The mayor rubbed his temples before looking up at a picture that his son had sent him the summer after he left with his new mentor, Clark's old friend Hershel Layton. In the photo, there stood Luke, Hershel, Emmy, and the famous opera singer, Janice Quatlane. In the enclosed letter, Luke had recounted his second case with the Professor: The Eternal Diva.

Clark stared at this picture a long while before Doland came in to collect the tea tray, disrupting his thoughts.

**Misthallery Front Bridge, Tuesday, 7:30 AM.**

It didn't take long for the group to reach Luke's hometown. Layton, Flora, and John rode in the Laytonmobile while Emmy and Luke rode on her scooter. Grosky simply ran for two reasons. One because he said he was fast enough to keep up with them, which, don't get me wrong, is true. The other was because he was too... er... masculine to fit in or on either vehicle.

When they arrived, they walked over to the bridge. John, who had heard a lot about the town from Luke and the Professor, immediately caught one small, yet crucial, detail in the name of the supposed haven. "Uh, I may still be delusional from blood loss, but there is a stunning lack of a town visible."

"Yeah, I know," Luke agreed. "We arrived on one of the mistier days of the year. Had we arrived earlier, the mist would have made Misthallery look absolutely stunning."

"I believe you, but still..." He trailed off as they crossed the bridge and, apparently, the mist. There stood the town he had heard of. The buildings were alined in a way that gave the feeling of walking through a museum. There were rivers that flowed as naturally as streets. John was just stunned by the sight.

"That's odd," Layton said.

"What do you mean? This is beautiful!"

"Well, it is at that. But I mean the mist. Turn around."

When they did, they saw what he meant. The heavy mist seemed to be centered over the river leading in and out of the town. But, everywhere else, the mist was not beyond visibility.

Grosky made his comment next. "That is odd."

"It's almost as if something is trying to keep the people in the town from leaving and the others outside from coming in," Flora inferred.

"Something... or someone," a voice said behind them. The group turned around to see who had spoken. It was a tall being in a black cloak. It's face was a mask made to look like a crude imitation of a bird's. "It's good to see you again, Professor."

Layton smiled when he recognized the figure. "Well, if it isn't the Black Raven. How has the market been?"

"Busier that ever actually. But I know that the great Hershel Layton doesn't take kindly to idle chat."

"You would be correct with that, Crow."

"Not so loud! We... I mean... I don't want to lose customers."

"Yes, I'm sorry. Anyway, someone?"

"Yes. As you have probably heard in the papers outside Misthallery, Jean Descole is running for mayor of our little haven. And, in an attempt to sway the vote in his favor, he said he would provide protection for us. That 'protection' would be that wall of mist."

"So, not quite what was expected?"

"Not at all. But I can't tell you anything else that would be of any use to you. Maybe if you talk to mayor Triton, he could though."

"Okay, thank you."

With that, Crow left the group, only half of which had any idea what had just happened. Grosky regained his composure the quickest of the three. "Well, who was that shady character? And why hasn't he been sent to prison as of yet?"

Luke turned to the muscle-bound inspector. "He happens to be a friend of ours. And he may be one of the only ones that will give us any friendship here, if what he said is true."

"Descole?" Flora asked.

John took a step back when he heard the name and shot a hand to his head. He grunted and bent over in pain, as if something were attacking him.

"John! Is something wrong?" She bent down to eye level with him. Before she knew it, John's hand was on Flora's shoulder. That's when she saw it.

**~Flashback~**

John was running through the streets of an old town. To his left was a young boy. His right, a young girl. Behind him, a giant machine chased them.

"John, I don't know if I can make it," the girl said wearily.

"We have to try, Emily." He didn't wait for a response. He reached down and put her on his back and continued running. Though they didn't get far before the machine's giant arm reached down and lifted them up to a platform on the head.

Up there was a giant musical contraption which appeared to control the machine. Next to it stood a man with a frilly cape, tri-point hat, and a mask. He smirked at the three children and waved his hand towards them.

Suddenly, three dogs with metallic left ears jumped from behind them and grabbed Emily and the boy. John tried to chase after them, but was stopped by the dogs.

**~Present~**

John and Flora were flung apart as the flashback ended. Both of them were breathing hard to catch their breath. Flora caught it first. "Wh-What... was... that?"

John forced a smile at her. "You must be very special to have activated that."

Luke, who Flora had fallen into, asked next. "What happened to you two?"

"We just shared what's known as a Shockback. It can only be caused when one person with a vivid memory touches another person having an intense flashback." With this, he turned to Flora. "You must have a very vivid memory."

"I can't have one," she protested. "I have nearly nothing to remember."

"All the more fact that you have one."

"Excuse me," Emmy said, slightly annoyed. "It's great that you two can do this, but we should really get moving to the mayor's house."

Layton nodded. "Emmy is right. Let's move."

**Triton Residence, Tuesday, 8:15 AM.**

Clark was in the middle of writing another campaign speech when Doland knocked on the door again. "Come in."

Doland did as he was told. "Sir, you have more visitors in the parlor."

"Well, aren't I popular today. Who is it?"

"A certain Hershel Layton and his company."

Clark needed no more information before he got up and quickly went to the parlor to see that it was not only his old friend, his assistant, and his son, but three others. Clark went straight to the professor first. "Hershel! It's good to see you again. What brings you here?"

"Well, a letter was sent to your son yesterday, but seeing as how you didn't say 'I see you got my letter,' I'm going to assume that you didn't send it."

Clark's eye grew wide. "Why, no, I didn't. Why does it seem that everyone is trying to use my name to get something done? But that matters little now. I see that you've heard about the election in town."

"Actually, the first we heard of it was in your letter."

**Chapter Complete. Ooh, cliffhanger. Well, I guess that's the point of a mystery. I just hope that I don't give anything away, seeing as how I am not the greatest mystery author in history. But anyway, R&R AND ADIOS!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter VI: Touring the Haven.

**GRAH! ONE OF MY FICS GOT TROLLED SO MUCH THAT IT WAS TAKEN OFF! I'm just so... can I sick Grosky on them? That's about the only use I can find for him. Anyway, while I'm moping, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I only own my OC(s).**

**Triton Residence, Tuesday 8:16 AM.**

Clark's eyes widened when Layton said this. "How is that so? Everyone heard about the discovery of The Golden Garden when it came around."

The professor put his hand over his mouth to think. John, however, stood up with his answer. "Someone must have an immense power of censorship to be able to keep everything inside the town. And the only ones with that power would be the electoral candidates."

"Are you assuming that I did it?"

"Well, you or... Descole..." John shuttered when he said the name.

Clark shook his head before he continued. "I'm sorry, but I don't think we've been introduced properly. I know of everyone else in the room, but not you."

"Johnathan Walker at your service." With this, he mocked a bow. He was not amused at all that was transpiring. Especially since he had heard the name Descole several times. Each time sparking another flashback.

"John, respect your elders," Emmy scolded the American. "May I remind you that you are speaking to the mayor of Misthallery."

"I think this boy needs a bit of a lesson in respect," Grosky muttered to himself. Only yesterday, he had taken a nearly lifeless limp of this boy over to the professor's house. Now, that same boy was back-talking to a figure of authority.

Layton stood up from his chair. "Well, Clark, it was good to see you again. But now, I think we should take a walk around Misthallery. It has been a few years since our last visit to the town, John here would like to see the sights."

"I would?"

"Well, if that's the case..." Clark walked over to his friend and shook his hand. "I'm glad you came around before you did anything else. It's good to see a friend in times like this. And I know that you'll get to the bottom of this puzzle."

"I'll try my best, Clark. A gentleman leaves no puzzle undone. Now," Layton said, turning to the rest of the group, "let's go investigating."

**Twin Bridges, Tuesday 8:30 AM.**

What the professor said was "investigating." What he meant was "sight-seeing." The first place they went was back to a set of bridges they had passed when they went to the Triton Residence. "These are the famous Twin Bridges," Luke said to the three who hadn't known. "Supposedly, they were built at the same time. The one to the right leads to the market. The left leads... just about everywhere else."

"Interesting," John said. Then his eyes drifted to a man in suspenders and a stetson. "Who is that?"

The man looked over to them and ran over. "Who am I? Who am I? I'm Bucky, and I run the boat service for Misthallery's canals. My motto is: See boat. See Bucky."

Flora looked around and behind the man. "But I don't see any boats."

"Ah, but you see Bucky! See Bucky. See Boats! I can get you anywhere you want in the town."

Luke suddenly bounce up. "Ooh, your route to Barde Manor is still open, right?"

"Of course! I said I could get you anywhere, and I meant it."

"Well, that's where we want to go."

Grosky still wasn't convinced about these mythical boats. "And where are your vesicles?"

Bucky smiled yet again. "See Bucky. See boats!"

**Barde Manor Garden, Tuesday, 9:00 AM.**

John still didn't quite believe what had happened. The boat just seemed to come out of nowhere. And before he knew it, they were up the river and on their way to Barde Manor. Luke kept chattering about some friends of his: two children named Arianna and Tony.

Right now, they were coming around to a garden. Luke said that is had been overgrown and wild last time they were there. But now, it was beautiful and elaborate. Almost... too beautiful.

John shot his hands to his temples and grunted in pain. Flora, who had been walking in between Luke and John, placed a hand on his shoulder. This sparked another Shockback.

~**Flashback~**

There was a tree on a small hill in the middle of an equally elaborate garden. On this hill, a picnic was taking place. John was one of the three people there, along with Emily and the boy. They were laughing about something that was lost from the memory.

Suddenly, John stopped laughing and turned his head. He thought he heard something move. A bush of roses rustled a bit when he spun around. "Emily, Peter, get behind me."

The kids swiftly obeyed him. He reached to his left for a staff he had left by the tree. He stood ready to defend them at any cost. He had lost so much already. He wasn't losing anyone else.

Out of the bush charged another wolf. He thought they would be safe in this garden. It's name was the Garden of Tranquility, after all. But John guessed that... Descole cared little for the value.

"Get up the tree!" he commanded, and was again obeyed. The wolf charged him, completely ignoring the children. They always did. Every single one tried to go for his neck.

For his grandfather's ring.

**~Present~**

Flora and John were shot from each other again. This time, John was flung into the nearby windmill while Flora, again, was pushed into Luke. The boy in blue was not happy about this. "Okay, next time you start a Shockback, do it away from me!"

Flora regained her feet and ran over to help John up. The American was unshaken by the impact, but still a little in pain. He smiled at Flora when he regained his composure. "You know, Flora, you're cute, but we need to stop doing this."

"I'm so sorry, John. I didn't know..."

"Hey, don't worry about it. It's mostly my fault. Don't blame yourself for having a heart." He extended a hand to her, which she took. And this is how they walked the rest of the way.

**Barde Manor, Tuesday, 9:15 AM.**

When they reached the manor, John could hardly take it in. It was only a run down building to the others, but to him, it was a palace. The design was complex and luxuriant. He cared little for the places that could be fixed.

Luke ran up to the door and knocked loudly. After a while, a little boy in a yellow overcoat answered. When he saw Luke, a smile sprouted on his face. "Luke! It's great to see you!"

"Hello, Tony. You've grown since I've been out of town."

"Well, you have been away for a few years."

"True enough. Oh, and I should introduce you to some of my new friends. Of course you know Emmy and the professor. But these are Inspector Grosky, Flora, and John."

Tony looked at them, walked over, and shook each one's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, if you would like, you can come in. Arianna is inside waiting for me to come back."

They followed the boy into the building, through a few halls, and came finally to large sitting room. There, sitting on one of the couches, reading a book, was a girl in a dark blue dress. When the company entered the room, she looked up at them. A smile shot onto her face as she jumped up and ran over to Luke, wrapping him in a huge hug.

"Oh, Luke, I've missed you so much."

Luke returned the embrace. "I missed you too."

John was holding in a laugh. Unfortunately, a part of it slipped out. "Aw, isn't that cute."

Flora shot a warning look at him before Luke and Arianna quickly broke apart, blushing bright red. "Um... Nice to see you all again," Arianna said to the three who had helped her and Tony a few years ago, the year that their friend Loosha died. Then she turned to Flora and John. "I know about the inspector, but who are you two?"

John extended a hand to the girl to shake. "My name is John."

"And my name is Flora." She followed John's action when he released the girl's hand.

"Nice to meet you two." Now, she turned back to the professor and his assistant and apprentice. "What brings you back to Misthallery? Another mystery?"

"Things are starting to appear that way," Layton stated. "Do you two know anything about the Swords of Destiny by chance?"

Arianna and her brother shared a look before she answered with, "No, sorry. We know as much as the rest of the town."

"Well, there is the wall we found in the Golden Garden."

**Chapter Complete. Sorry that this has been delayed. I've been set back again and again with school and sports, homework and chores, there so much to do. Anywho, R&R this chapter for me. I know it may not be the best, but just keep in mind that this is my first mystery ****_anything,_**** fic or otherwise.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V: The Wall of Discovery

**Welcome to yet another chapter of The Blades of Destiny! Sorry that this is late, I've been laid up with stuff. Oh, and so you guys know, my writing style is put together so that it leaves the blanks up to the reader's imagination. So quite telling me to describe more than I believe necessary. Anywho, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I only own my OC(s).**

**Golden Garden, Tuesday, 10:30 AM.**

John's eyes shot open wide when he first saw the Golden Garden. If he thought that the Barde garden was amazing, he thought this was spectacular. The air felt cleaner than at the surface. The water was clear of any pollutants. The flora had its own special beauty in each flower and tree.

He was still admiring the area around him when he noticed that Arianna and Tony were knelt at the edge of the large lake in the center of everything. They had each placed a water lily on the surface and pushed them towards the middle of the lake. Once there, they rose and said, "We remember you, Loosha."

He walked over to the younger children. "Who was Loosha?"

Tony softly began to cry as Arianna sorrowfully answered. "Loosha was our friend, probably the last of her kind. She was like us, alone in the world with no one to care for us. We had stuck together through everything, until Descole tried to destroy the town while searching for this place. She gave her life to protect the town."

He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm sorry for your loss. It sounds like she was an amazing friend."

"She was the best friend anyone could have," Tony moaned.

John stood there with the two for the time they mourned their friend. He could almost feel the loss himself as they wept. Loosha apparently meant their whole world to them.

After they had finished, they showed the group through the forest. There was a path of grass that was grew a slightly more blue shade than the rest. It led them to a large wall made of brass. It looked completely out of place in the tranquil landscape.

"We found this a few days ago," Arianna explained. "There's no door knob, no key hole, no anything."

Flora walked up and examined the wall closely. She ran her hand back and forth across the face of the brass a few times before she stopped. "What's this?" She rubbed the space a little harder, knocking off a layer of dirt. Behind it there was a plaque with these words on it:

_Aditus rejicitur ad omnes, sed ipse_

_qui dat Walker sanguine libere._

Emmy snapped a picture of the plaque as Layton stepped closer to read it. "What does it say?" Grosky asked as he looked over the professor's shoulder.

Layton shook his head. "I don't know. All I can tell is that it is in Latin. But I never learned the language."

"Entrance is rejected to all but he who gives Walker's blood freely." Everyone looked in amazement at John. "My ancestry can be traced back to Roman times. I thought it fitting to learn the dead language."

"What does it mean by 'Walker's blood?'" Luke asked.

"Does anyone remember my last name? It's Walker." John then reached for the end of his lanyard and revealed what hung on the end, a silver ring with a golden chain around the middle. "This ring has been in my family for thousands of years. It was given to me by my grandfather on his death bed. But it is no ordinary ring." He twisted the chain, causing the inside to become serrated. "It was meant to draw blood."

"Will it hurt you?" Flora took a step closer to him.

"It will puncture my skin, but there won't be any permanent damage."

"That didn't answer the question."

John hesitated. "...Yes." He didn't listen to everyone around him as he retracted the serration, slipped on the ring, and slowly twisted the chain back. He grimaced as the blade cut the flesh. Then, retracting the serrated ring, he smeared the blood onto the plaque.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently. Slowly but surely, the wall began to slide to the right, revealing what looked like a hallway. John began to walk in, but Flora stopped him. She grabbed his hand and pulled him gently over to Luke. Reaching into his satchel, she brought out a roll of gauze, which she used to wrap his wound.

Soon, they were all walking down the hallway. To each side were glass cases, each filled with some article of weaponry or armor. "I can't believe this is here," John stated in awe.

Arianna looked at him in confusion. "What is this?"

"Imagine a legacy. A legacy of the greatest family in history. Sword smiths, armor smiths, warriors, buglers, everything. This hall holds a piece of every member of the legacy."

Emmy had been taking pictures non stop since they had entered the hall. However, at one case, she stopped. "Uh, Professor. Could you come here please?"

Layton walked over to where she was and saw what she sounded worried about: an empty case. "Curious. It appears that someone has been here before us."

John hustled over to the case in question. When he saw that the lack of items in the case, he shouted and began to check all the others. "NO! WHERE ARE THEY?"

That told them all what was supposed to be in that case. The very thing that had drawn them to Misthallery in the first place. The Swords of Destiny.

**Town Square, Tuesday, 11:30 AM.**

John was heart-broken. The rest of the group literally had to drag him out of the Golden Garden. He didn't want to believe that they were gone. But soon, he had to realize the fact.

Most of the others had gone to investigate around town to see if they could find out anything else on Descole and the Swords. He, however, sat on a bench in town square, thinking depressed thoughts of why anyone would steal his family's treasures.

How did they? Nothing but a Walker's blood could open the door to that vault. And there was no way they could have gotten their hands on some. It's not as though his family ran a blood drive.

As he sat there moping, someone came over and placed themselves next to him. It was Flora. "I'm really sorry about the vault, John."

"It's not your fault, Flora. I just want to know how they got into there. Only my family's blood can open it."

"What about Emily and Peter? Those children from your flashbacks? Aren't they your relatives?"

John looked at her. "They're my cousins. Well, they were my cousins. I don't even know if they are still alive."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing for things you aren't responsible for. If you have no control over the affair, then you don't have to apologize."

"I can feel sorry for you though."

"You barely even know me."

"I've felt your loss though. Every time we've been in a Shockback, I've felt everything you felt."

John was beat here. He hadn't thought much about the Shockbacks since they've been happening. He knew little about how they worked. They just kind of... happen. "True enough."

She placed her hand over mine. "Tell me about how you got that ring."

He smiled at her. "How about I show you?" He closed his eyes and began to focus on that day, many years ago.

**~Flashback~**

John, Peter, and Emily all knelt down at their grandfather's bedside. The old man, Jeremy Walker, had taken care of them ever since the fire that had killed their parents.. But know, it was him that was dying. John just couldn't stop his tears from flowing.

Tenderly, the old man put his hand on the boy's face. "Don't cry for me, my boy."

"But... But..."

Emily reached for her grandfather's hand. "Please..."

"There is nothing you can do. My time has come." Then, he reached under his pillow and produced a box. "I have these labeled. Each one of you gets one. Now, let me sleep." He closed his eyes as the three of them left the room.

John then opened the box. There were three pieces of jewelry: a necklace for Emily, a bracelet for Peter, and a ring for John. They put these on and walked out of the house, taking one more look as they left.

Now, there was nothing left for them here."

**~Present~**

John and Flora opened their eyes and looked at each other. "John... I..."

"I know." His eyes began to tear up as he turned his head. "I wish that I could see him again. He was the only one who cared for us. The only one who loved us."

Flora put her arms around him. "He sounded like a great man. I wish I could have met him. But you know, he is no longer the only one that cares about you."

John looked back into her eyes when she said this. "What do you mean by that?"

She only stared back into his eyes. Slowly, they began to move their lips closer together. John knew exactly what she meant now. This was the clearest thing he had even been told.

And soon, they shared their first kiss.

**Chapter Complete. Again, sorry this took so long to get put up. I've been busy as of late. Anyway, R&R AND ADIOS!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI: Wanted

**Hello, peoples! I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in forever, but I've been preoccupied with several other things. And, just so you know, the website didn't delete this, I did. I just had other things to worry about other than this fic, so I didn't want to leave it up, knowing that I wouldn't update it as often. But now, I believe that it's time I made it up to you. THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**Tuesday, Barde Manor, 1:00 PM.**

Luke and Flora had been trying to get John's mind off of the Swords ever since they came back to rendezvous at Barde Manor with Tony and Arianna. But all attempts have been useless. Luke had even tried giving him a riddle to solve.

"Okay, John, imagine this:

"Three guests check into a hotel room. The clerk says the bill is ₤30, so each guest pays ₤10. Later the clerk realizes the bill should only be ₤25. To rectify this, he gives the bellhop ₤5 to return to the guests. On the way to the room, the bellhop realizes that he cannot divide the money equally. As the guests didn't know the total of the revised bill, the bellhop decides to just give each guest ₤1 and keep ₤2 for himself.

"Now that each of the guests has been given ₤1 back, each has paid ₤9, bringing the total paid to ₤27. The bellhop has ₤2. If the guests originally handed over ₤30, what happened to the remaining ₤1?"

"Luke, why are you guys still doing this?"

Flora put a hand over his. "Because we don't want you to be upset. I realize that the Swords mean a lot to you, and if we could get them back, we would. But that doesn't seem to be the case right now. So, why don't you just solve the riddle?"

John looked at her a bit before putting his head back down. "Alright. What was it again?"

Luke repeated the riddle two or three more times before John finally got the answer. "It appears that there is no missing pound. Since the original bill was ₤30, but it was supposed to be ₤25, each guest only had to pay ₤9. Seeing that ₤5 cannot be divided evenly among three people, the bellhop keeps ₤2 for himself, making the new bill ₤27. Add this to the ₤3 that the guests have, you end up with the original total of ₤30. Therefore, no missing pound."

Luke clapped his hands. "Good job. You have a talent and observance that rivals the professor's!"

"I don't know about that, Luke," a voice said from the hall. It was none other than the professor himself, along with Emmy, back from some last minute investigation. "But we can decide on that later. We found some...curious information, to say the least."

John tensed up. "What kind of curious information?"

Layton sat down and put his hand over his mouth, thinking. "Well, first off, no one seems to remember the incident of the _Last Specter_ from the last time we were here."

Luke tilted his head to the side in confusion. "How is that possible? It wasn't that long ago, and it affected the whole town!"

"I said that it was curious. Every time we brought it up, everyone thought we were playing something."

Emmy took a step forward now to give her testimony. "And, there's something else that was rather...odd."

"Oh?" Flora asked.

Emmy reached into her camera bag and pulled out a poster. A wanted poster. With Johnathan Walker's face on the front. "It appears that you, John, don't have a lot of friends here."

John sat bolt upright, sweat forming on his brow. "No... but that means..."

"I'm afraid that Descole wants you out of the picture."

"No, not quite." John took the poster from her hand. "Didn't you notice? This poster is hand written and copied."

"So?" Luke asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Have you ever seen Descole's handwriting?"

"I think I understand what you're getting at," Layton said, taking the poster from John. "Descole has never, in all my experiences with him, handwritten something. Maybe on a type-writer, but never by hand."

"Again I say, so?" Luke crossed his arms. "Maybe he wanted to try a different approach to catch us off guard, since he knew that my father would send us word about the election."

Flora looked hard at the poster. "I think... I think that I recognize that handwriting."

Everyone looked at her. Emmy went over and stood by her. "Where?"

"Well, I'm not sure exactly. But it seems familiar."

John tensed up suddenly again. He shot one hand to his forehead and the other to Flora's hand.

**~Flashback~**

John had lost his cousins. They had been taken away by Descole. And he had run like a coward when they were gone. But not anymore. He went and confronted Descole. But he wasn't quite ready for the encounter.

Information that he had been given said that he could be found in an abandoned factory. It was there that he was in the process of making...something called a Detragiganto and another called a Detragon. He couldn't be given any other information on it, other than it had to do with something called _The Song of the Stars._

After a year of searching, he finally found the factory, and stole his first glance at the machine in question. But when he did, he immediately recognized it as the same device that attacked him the first time. Shaped like a giant, demented monkey, its arms and tail were fitted with drills, as if it were to be used to dig up something.

John searched a little more before he started hearing music. The tune, which he assumed was _The Song of the Stars_, drifted from a room that he thought was too small to hold an orchestra. And, in a way, he was right. On the other side of the door was a large contraption, which appeared to be made up of every single instrument in existence. This was the Detragon, but John wasn't concerned with names at the time. He was a little worried about the man playing it: Jean Descole.

He tried to back away, only to cause the door to seemingly slam shut. Descole turned around, smiling at the him. "Ah, if it isn't Johnathan. How have you been?"

"Where are Emily and Peter?" He brandished his walking stick. "Tell me!"

"Oh, now, are you that desperate?"

"Tell me right now, you sick son of-"

"Alright." He raised his hand. "I'll show you." He turned and played a few notes, lowering a screen, on which showed the boy and girl, suspended in tubes of liquid.

"What have you done with them?" John took a step closer.

"Why, we took samples of their blood."

"And then put them in test tubes?"

"Well, we knew that you wouldn't just give up on them."

"Wait, 'we?'"

A voice from behind me said, "Yes, 'we.'"

John turned around and saw a man with pointed, brown hair on the sides of his head, a pointed nose, and...pretty much, his whole head was pointed. He had a little patch of hair on his chin. He wore a purple coat, orange pants, and brown boots.

The man smiled at him menacingly. "Well, Descole, I didn't know you had another friend." He held out his hand to John. "Paolo. Don Paolo."

John spun around quickly and asked, "Why are you after us?

Descole laughed as he walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do you understand what your inheritance is? You three have the key elements of the Detragiganto! With it, I can unearth Ambrosia!"

John laughed at this. "Ambrosia? That doesn't exist."

Paolo grabbed his arms behind his back and held him there. His staff fell to the floor and was taken off by one of the wolves. "We thought that you would say that."

Descole smirked. "Plan B?"

"Plan B."

Descole produced a cloth from behind him and held it over John's mouth and nose. He tried to wriggle out of Don Paolo's grasp, but he felt him self start slipping from consciousness.

**~Present~**

Flora and John shot their hands away from each other. "Sorry," John said as he stood. "I'm just... sorry." He ran from the room, hand clenched around his ring.

The professor looked at Flora with an expression of great interest. "What did he show you?"

Flora fidgeted with her dress a little before looking up and saying, "Descole...is working with...Don Paolo."

**Tuesday, Police Station, 2:00 PM**

Grosky headed to the Police station earlier after the incident in the Golden Garden. He knew that any and all facts on the entire population of Misthallery. Birth dates, Marriages, and, specifically, criminal records.

Grosky searched for hours on end, looking for something, anything, that could be used as evidence against Descole in court. The only problem was that there didn't appear to be anything.

**Chapter Complete. I hope that this makes up for the long break from this fic, but I've been busy, so I have a... semi-good excuse. Anyway, sorry, R&R and ADIOS!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII: Rendezvous with Black Raven

**Hello peoples of the world. GPB IS BACK FROM THE GRAVE. Yeah, I'm SOOOO sorry that I'm so flip-flapping late. I've had school, movie script to help on, a trip to Washington D.C., I was booked. Anywho, THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**Tuesday, 3:00pm, Black Market.**

John ran. He ran as fast as he could to get out of that mansion. And, having spent years running from Descole and Don Paolo, was fast. He outran Bucky as he brought out a boat for a young couple. He ran past a restaurant where a man was eating soup. He only stopped when he fell down a hole.

How he fell down a hole right next to a brick wall, he will never know. But fall down it he did. He would have split his head open on the stone ground at the bottom had his foot not caught on one of the rungs of the rope ladder on the way down. He hung there, dangling ridiculously for a while, before a figure dressed in black appeared in front of his face.

The figure laughed. "Well, who do we have here?"

"Who wants to know?" John asked as he tried to reach his foot to no avail.

"The only person that will get you down."

John tried once more before he stopped and hung there. With a sigh, he said, "Johnathan Walker. An acquaintance of Professor Hershal Layton."

"Layton? Ah, yes. He was the man who helped out our little haven during the attack of the Specter." The figure reached a hand up and cut the rope holding John's foot, causing him to fall with a crash. "There."

"Aw, you do have a heart."

"No, I just don't want a dangling body scaring away my customers. Now get up and follow me."

"Hey, I told you who I am. Who are you?"

"Out here, I'm the Black Raven."

"Oh, so you're that Crow person."

"NOT SO LOUD!"

"You're yelling twice as loud as I'm talking."

"Never mind. Just follow me. I have something that might be of interest to the Professor." The Black Raven led John do a winding path to a sub market space. There were several items on display here to buy, yet only a few...scratch that, one customer.

At the end of the market place, there was a door that opened into a large amphitheater, where John assumed that auctions took place for some of the more ornate items. Up on the stage, behind the podium, was a red veil that the Black Raven held back. "Go in."

John obliged and found himself in a large room, full of the predetermined "more ornate" items. Though John didn't get a good look because the Black Raven closed the veil and then dropped his costume, revealing a younger boy, decked out in blue pants and hat, red vest, and a white scarf. His brown hair fell over his left eye. And when he spoke, it was a deeper tone than would have been first thought. "Ah, that's better. It's hard to keep up the charade when you are boiling in your own costume."

John stood there and scratched his head. "Wait, you're Crow? The leader of the black market?"

"Yes. Is there a problem?"

"You're younger than I am!"

"And?" Before John could continue, Crow walked over to a safe at the back of the room. Opening it, he took out a small package, wrapped in newspaper. "This is for the Professor." After giving him the package, Crow also handed him a letter. "This came with it."

John looked at the letter. The handwriting on the front of the letter looked like it belonged to someone who was getting on in years. The phrase that was written in ink was this: _From a friend._

**Tuesday, 3:00pm, Barde Manor**

"Are you sure, Inspector?" the professor asked after Grosky gave his account of the records.

"Would I lie? I'm on the Police Force! I took an oath of..."

"Inspector!" Luke cried. "With all due respect, we...don't...care!"

"Well I never...In all my years..."

"Inspector," Emmy started. "Just tell us."

"Fine! Be that way! Yes, there was a stunning lack of any criminal records under the file 'Descole, Jean.' Here."

The Inspector reached into his...strange as it seems...chest hair and produced a file. An empty file. Titled just as the Inspector said.

"And as if that wasn't enough, I found this." Again, his hand shot back to his chest and produced another, this time over-flowing, file. "This one, if I may direct you attention, is titled 'Walker, Johnathan.'"

Flora held a hand to her chin. "That's impossible. In every Shockback we've shared, there's never been a mention of Misthallery at all. I'm pretty sure the first he heard of it was when he got his hands on the newspaper."

This time, Layton began to think. "This does raise a new mystery."

**Tuesday, 4:00pm, Barde Manor**

John had made his way back to the manor slowly as he pondered what could be in the package. There could be anything in it. Jewels. Codes. Artifacts from old times. Could it even be...

His thoughts were interrupted when a pair of very familiar arms wrapped around his neck from behind. Flora held on tightly to him, whispering into his ear, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

He put the box and letter on the ground beside him before turning around and holding her tightly. "It's not your fault, Flora. Remember what I said."

"I can't help it." Tears began to fall down her face. "I'm..."

John pulled back a little and held her face in his hand. "I know. You have almost too kind of a heart." He smiled at her before planting a soft kiss on her lips. He moved his hand down to her's, rubbing it during the embrace.

As they pulled apart, Flora smiled. Then, she looked down at their interlocked hands. John's hand was the one with the scar. And the scar was glowing.

**~Flashback~**

John woke up inside of a metal prison. His arms were suspended at the wrist by large metal cords. Smaller wires were hooked up to him as well. Around him were other machines and such that appeared all to be attached to him.

However, the one that caught his attention was the one right in front of his face. He didn't know what it was, but it held his ring, covered in blood. His blood. He could tell this from the ominous red liquid pouring from his left hand.

There was nothing he could do. Descole had hooked him up to his excavation machine. And know, he could hear music start to flow through the window. The machine would awake soon.

He had lost.

**Chapter Complete. Well, that's one way to end a chapter. Again, sorry that this is so late, but I just sat down to work on it. Anywho, R&R AND ADIOS!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII: The Gift of Elysian

**Hi my peoples. I, the great glorious humble Goldenponyboy, has finally got his rear in gear to create the next chapter. I'm sorry, but I nearly forgot I had this one going. Kind of like my one friend who hasn't updated in forever. But never mind. THE FIC IS THE THING!**

**I own only my OC(s).**

**Tuesday 4:30 P.M., Barde Manor**

The package sat on the table in front of them all. Johnathan had just finished apologizing and then telling them how he had got it. Professor Layton was sitting back in his chair, thinking about everything he had said. "You say the Black Raven got this from...who again?"

"He didn't say. But he did hand me this as well." He reached into his pocket and produced the letter Crow had given him.

"Hmm...'from a friend.' I wonder..." He proceeded to open the envelope and read the following letter:

_Dear Hershel,_

_It has been a long while since we had last seen each other. And, before I tell you anything else, I want to thank you for all you've done for Kaita and myself. Without you, I never would have seen past the lies I created and have been able to enjoy Kaita's company._

_But enough of formalities. Via a network of travelers (I'll never change), I have gotten to you my Elysian box, within which you will find something I hope will be of help to you. It is a pendant that is made of the same material as the box itself. With it, if your powers to convince another is adapt enough, you can make anyone see what you want them to._

_I hope my gift to you will help you,_

_Anton Herzen_

The good Professor laughed as he began to open the package. "I thought as much. It appears that Anton and Kaita are doing well."

Johnathan nudged Flora in the side and whispered into her ear, "Who's Anton?"

"I don't really know for sure. Uh, Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Who's Anton?"

"Oh, right. You weren't there. Anton is an elder man from the city of Folsense. Though, for a while, he was thought to be a vampire, due to the fact that he hadn't aged one day in fifty years! It was due to a vein of hallucinogenic gas that wafted through the the town, which also hadn't changed from his idea of it."

Flora turned back to John. "Answer your question?"

He had his arms crossed, leaning back against the wall beside her chair. "Seems legit."

Soon, sitting before the Professor was an extremely decorative box, with a goat head design upon the lid. "Ah, the Elysian box. I never believed that I would see it again."

John stood up straight. "That box..."

"Have you seen this before, John?"

"I...believe I have. I think...I think I carried it myself for a while... Yes, it was after the-" He stood bolt upright and shot his hand to his head. Flora immediately threw her hands around his neck in a tight embrace.

**~Flashback~**

John limbered off the submarine last. The other people around him looked so happy to be back on dry land, away from the destruction and lies that Descole had provided on that island. How could so many people be deceived by the "promise" of Eternal Life? They could be so thick.

But, then again, he had also been extremely thick in going after his cousins. He wasn't ready to go after them yet. But not only that, but he had allowed himself to be used for the Detragiganto, allowing Descole to tear apart Ambrosia!

Leaning heavily on his staff and holding his hand, newly scarred by the "sample" of blood taken, he began hobbling off, only to fall flat on his face in agony.

"Oh, hey, kid? Are you alright?"

Forcing himself back to his feet, John saw who was talking to him. It was a short, plump man, wearing just about all green on his outfit and a backpack slung over his back.

"I asked if you were alright."

Slowly standing up, he said, "Yeah, I'm good," only to fall straight down again.

The man helped him back to his feet. "Easy, there. You've been through a lot here. All those lies about Eternal Life and whatnot."

"You...don't know the half of it." When he regained his composure, he asked the man, "Do you...know where...Scotland Yard is?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

"Just...point me in...the right direction."

The man sighed and pointed to his left. "I don't know how you would get there, but that's the way you want to go. Oh, but before you do," he reached into his bag and pulled out another bag of supplies and handed it to John, "take these. It may be a bit heavy, but that problem will solve itself."

John shouldered the bag, thanked the man, and then headed in the direction the man indicated. When he stopped to see what was in the bag, he found the basic supplies. You know, instant, water-activated food packets, water, and a first-aid kit. But what he wasn't expecting the last thing inside. A golden, decorative box.

He didn't know anything about it at all, not even the legend behind it. In fact, when he opened it, he found nothing inside, except for a letter, but he didn't think anything of it. The first chance he got, he sold it so he could get more supplies.

**~Present~**

John and Flora let go of each other and gasped. "I didn't think it was important," he told her when they recovered. "It was just an empty box."

The professor opened the lid and confirmed what he had said. The box indeed appeared empty. That is until Luke took it from him. "Don't you remember, Professor?" he asked. "There's another way to open it."

After looking at it for a while to remember the poem, Luke turned two pictures, lifted one, and then blew on the box, revealing a secret compartment on the bottom. Within it was the pendant that Anton had described before. Luke handed it to the Professor, who examined it with great interest. "Astounding. Just like the box, it appears that there are traces of the gas in this material."

"How can you tell?" John asked.

"Why, there is a spider on your shoulder."

Looking where he indicated, John saw a huge, hairy spider, resting on his shoulder. He swatted it off behind him and then turned back to Layton. "When did that get there?"

"What?"

"What do you mean, "what?" The spider."

The professor laughed. "There never was a spider. It was simply an illusion. Try to believe me and look again."

John played along and imagined that the spider wasn't there. And, sure enough, it wasn't. "How did..."

The professor stood up and then placed the pendant around John's neck. "It's all the pendant. Trust me, you will learn."

**There you go. I hope that this lives up to your expectations and am sorry that it took so long to get up. R&R ANDADIOS!**


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